This invention relates to certain novel vitamin compositions and more particularly, to non-aqueous, stable, readily water-dispersible vitamin compositions which contain more than one dispersing agent therein. The vitamins of this invention are oil-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin D.sub.2, vitamin E, or combinations thereof.
In general, the pharmaceutical art has long been concerned with the problem of finding a suitable way to render lipoid-soluble vitamins dispersible in aqueous media. For instance, although vitamin A palmitate of commerce is soluble in most common organic solvents and readily miscible in all proportions with ordinary mineral and vegetable oils, it is insoluble in water, thereby necessitating the use of an emulsifier or dispersing agent in this connection, i.e., when aqueous systems are desired. Since then, it has been found possible by other workers in the field to prepare clear aqueous dispersion of said vitamin in concentrations of up to about 100,000 U.S.P. units per gram by using polyoxyethylene derivatives of certain high molecular weight fatty acid esters such as the sorbitan fatty acid ester derivatives, for example, which act as dispersing agents for this purpose. Although this represented a great advance in the art at the time, the relatively long period required in order to effect said dispersion still remained a problem, which, in turn, necessitated special handling, etc. (e.g., the use of elevated temperatures, and the like).
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a non-aqueous, but yet rapidly water-dispersible vitamin composition of high potency which will, at the same time, remain stable under normal or ordinary conditions of use. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description which follows herein.